SMALL GROUP TABLE SESSIONS

Together, Seeking Stronger Links Between Policies and Poverty

Participants were challenged to review one of the key policies from the following perspective:

If you were to have the opportunity to meet the Premier and Cabinet, tomorrow about this policy, what alternative solutions or ideas would you present?

To stimulate discussion some specific questions were suggested as starting points for their deliberations. They were:

  1. Who needs to be at the table in developing new or revised policy?
  2. Who needs to be part of the presentation?
  3. What is the intent of this policy?
  4. Are there parts of the policy that are salvageable?
  5. Are there parts of the policy that ‘have to go’?
  6. What would be the impact of these proposed changes/revisions?

Some groups used these questions as their guide while others took a less direct approach.

Economic Unit/ Household Income Policy

  • Basic rates not enough - N.B. has the lowest rates in Canada
  • Simplify Policy
  • Get back to basic values and human rights
  • Develop a “Guaranteed Annual Income” program
  • Return to “the table” & work anew toward new values and goals.
  • Provide basic necessities
  • Have Integrity
  • Begin to TRUST clients

Kinds of people who should be at ‘the table’:

  • People who are most affected by Income Assistance (IA) policies
  • Low income wage earners
  • Advocates
  • Business – they need good, stable employees & better policies could help
  • Inside Policy developer and/or Analyst
  • Also, keep Media informed of process

‘Unwritten’ policies should be kept in mind – e.g. values on poverty – such as Income Assistance recipients can not be perceived as better off than low wage earners.

Do not believe the current system is salvageable. Do not tinker with it – go to a ‘fix’ such as Guaranteed Annual Income.

Some impacts of new approaches: erosion of the poverty stigma; just society; government saves resources by being free to focus energies more productively; subsequent modifications to tax levels; and individuals grow to feel more secure and independent.

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